Twin bucket assembly



April 24, 1962 E. H. BARD TWIN BUCKET ASSEMBLY Filed May 8, 1959 INVENTOR. [/7767 H ,Farj

BY w M X/VE/ United States PateiitG 3,031,207 TWIN BUCKET ASSEMBLY Elmer H. Bard, Muskegon, Mich., assignor to Geerpres Wringer, Inc., a corporation of Michigan Filed May 8, 1959, Ser. No. 811,912 3 Claims. (Cl. 280--460) This invention relates generally to wheeled buckets of the type used in floor cleaning operations and, more particularly, to an improved twin bucket assembly.

In many floor cleaning operations, it is desirable to have a pair of adjacent buckets. In some cases, one bucket carries a wringer and is for soapy water, while the other is for clear water. In other cases, two buckets are used so that two people can mop simultaneously without interfering with each other. The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a twin bucket assembly which consists of detachable single bucket units, each of which has casters, so that a bucket can be readily converted from single to twin use Without requiring any additional supporting frames, and to provide the buckets with bumpers which prevent noise and damage when the buckets come into contact with each other or walls, furniture and the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide a twin bucket assembly which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and which consists of a pair of readily connectible and detachable bucket units.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational assembly of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view looking along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged detail sectional views looking along the lines 33 and 44 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bucket unit in the assembly of this invention.

With reference to the drawing, the twin bucket assembly of this invention, indicated generally at 10, is illustrated in FIG. 1 as consisting of a pair of identical bucket units 12 connected by a pair of parallel link members 14. The bucket units 12 are described in detail in my copending application Serial No. 743,270, filed June 20, 1958, and since issued as Patent No. 2,947,548. In general, each unit 12 consists of a bucket 16, having a tubular side wall 18 on which a bail 20 is mounted and a bottom wall 22. A supporting frame 24 for the bucket 16 is provided, and four casters 26 are mounted on the frame 24. A resilient rubber bumper member 28, having a reinforcing metal strip 30 extending therethrough, extends about the lower end of the bucket 16 and is mounted on four brackets 32 positioned on the bucket 16 and the frame 24.

Each bumper member 28 carries a pair of upright tubular socket members 34 (FIG. 3), each of which has a flared upper end 36. The socket members 34 extend downwardly through the bumper member 28 adjacent the strip 30 and have their flared upper ends 36 disposed at the top side of the bumper member 28. The pair of socket members 34 on each bumper member 28 are spaced apart a predetermined distance in a direction generally parallel to a line extending between the ends of the bail 20 for a purpose to appear presently.

Each of the link members 14 consists of a rigid wire body member having downturned end portions 42 of a diameter to 'fit easily within the socket members 34. The end portions 42 for each body member 40 are parallel and are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the distance between the socket members 34 in each pair. As a review of the twin bucket 3,931,297 PatentedApr. 24;, 1 962 sult, a link member 14 is readily mounted on a bumper 28 for a unit 12 with the end portions 42 of the link extending into the socket members 34. In such a position,

the link 14 is in an out of the way location in which it is 5 always available for connecting the unit 12 to a second unit 12 to form the twin assembly 10.

To connect a pair of units 12 to form the assembly 10, the links 14 are moved to parallel positions, and the downturned end portions 42 for each link are inserted in a pair of sockets 34, each of which is in a different unit 12. The units 12 are thus connected so that they are always adjacent each other and, when one bucket 16 is moved, either by manipulation of the handle of the mop disposed therein or manipulation of the handle of a wringer mounted thereon, the other unit follows the movement of the first. The location of each pair of sockets 34, so that they are on a line parallel to a line between the bail ends, provides for an assembly of the buckets 16 so that the bails 20 are substantially parallel, and thus will not interfere with each other. The units 12 are readily disconnected by removing the links 14 and mounting each link in a storage position, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The buckets are proportioned so that the top of one bucket will fit inside the casters 26 on the frame 24 for the other bucket to facilitate storage of the buckets. Because the bumper members 28 are at the same level, contact of the units 12 during use is noiseless.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited, since changes can be made therein which are within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A twin bucket assembly comprising a first bucket provided with casters and a resilient bumper member extending horizontally around the bucket adjacent the lower end thereof, a second bucket provided with casters and a resilient bumper member extended horizontally around the second bucket at the level of said first bucket bumper, a 4 pair of identical parallel link members" disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and provided with downturned end portions, and a pair of sockets extended vertically through each of said bumper members for receiving said downturned end portions so as to pivotally support said link members in positions extending between said buckets, said pair of sockets being spaced at distance apart corresponding to the spacing of the downturned end portions on each of said link members.

2. In a twin bucket assembly, a bucket unit adapted to be connected to an identical unit, said unit comprising a bucket provided with casters and a resilient bumper member extended horizontally around the bucket adjacent the lower end thereof, a pair of horizontally spaced sockets extending vertically through said bumper member, and a link member for pivotally connecting said units, said link member having downturned end portions spaced apart a distance corresponding to the spacing of said socket members and receivable therein.

3. A twin bucket assembly comprising a first unit which includes a bucket provided with casters and a resilient bumper member extending horizontally around the bucket adjacent the lower end thereof, a second unit which includes a bucket provided with casters and a resilient bumper member extending horizontally around the second bucket at the level of said first bucket bumper, each of said resilient bumper members having a reinforcing strip therein, a socket extending vertically through each of said bumper members between the reinforcing strip and the bucket, and a link member pivotally disposed at one end within the socket in one of said bumper members and at 3' 4 the other end within the socket in the other of said bumper 2,283,436 Hawkins May 19, 1942 members. 2,307,149 Milz et a1. Jan. 5, 1943 2,313,235 G M 9, 1943 References Cited in the l of s p t 2,371,811 20, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,470,432 'Cusick May 17, 1949 5 395 Johns Se t, 25 1394 2,531,131 Johnson NOV. 1950 933,794 Sprung Q 1909 2,573,085 Yonk rs t. 0, 1951 1,221,997 Kochler Apr. 10, 1917 2,840,384 Bard J1me 1958 1,676,381 Callison July 10, 1928 2,947,548 Bard 2, 

